It is known in the prior art to protect tablet computers with covers. There are predominantly two different types of such covers: those that protect only the touch screen, and those that protect the entire body. With respect to the popular iPad tablet computer made by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., the Smart Cover, also made by Apple, is an example of the first type of cover. The Smart Cover is manufactured from four rigid sections and is magnetically attachable to the iPad. The four sections may be folded against each other to form a triangle that may be pivoted about the magnetic attachment to the rear of the iPad, so that the tablet computer may rest on the triangle at an angle that permits pleasant viewing. Depending on the orientation of the triangle and the computer, the view screen may be observed at either a slight angle or a nearly vertical angle with respect to the surface on which it is resting. However, the Smart Cover does not protect the iPad from damage due to impacts, and only one inclination angle with respect to the triangle is available.
There are also covers that protect the entire body. Such a cover may take the form, for example, of a portfolio that surrounds the computer like a book cover. Such portfolios may include a receptacle that holds the computer, and may be closed using a zipper, snaps, or other fasteners. While full-body covers may protect the tablet computer from impact damage, their bulky design generally does not permit them to be inclined for easy viewing without the assistance of an external stand, and such stand/cover combinations may be unstable with respect to their centers of gravity.